Literature

Literature CurriculumLiterature Resources

Plenty of people claim they like to read, they just don't like to read assigned books. That's like saying pizza is your favorite food, except when your mom serves it for dinner. Books are assigned because no one's born with a sense of good or bad literature, or knowing what works influenced the history of thought and which ones didn't.

If you loved Huckleberry Finn when you read it on your own, why did you hate it when you had to read it for class?

The sad fact is simply that most people haven't been given the tools for appreciating literature because they haven't been taught to understand it. Anyone who loves their job, or hobby, or sport only does so because they "get it." Understanding is a much overlooked and undervalued asset in today's data-infatuated culture. The goal isn't to interpret anything, only to accumulate as many statistics as possible. No wonder so few people thoroughly enjoy reading.

It's easy to like a book that requires nothing of you; it's the entertainment version of data-acquisition. You simply read the facts about the characters, the facts about the events, the facts the facts the facts, and maybe there are some action-packed facts or some titillating ones, and those are the source of any enjoyment you get from reading. You tell people you like to read, but you don't like books you've been told to read.

A lot of this conflict goes away when one learns how to read. Simply decoding words isn't the extent of reading; a good reader is one who can identify the meaning in a text, appreciate the beauty and complexity of the language as used by the author, and connect their knowledge of various texts to produce a viable body of understanding and increase their powers of critical thinking.

There are those who think this is a waste of time, that any time spent studying literature would be better spent studying the Bible....forgetting (or ignoring) the fact that the Bible is literature. Not in the sense that it's fictional, of course, but the Word of God doesn't come to us pre-interpreted or devoid of traditional literary form—for our delight as much as our instruction, the Bible is poetry, drama, adventure story, philosophy, theology and even romance all rolled into one.

While it's true that we should devote time to studying the Bible (lots of time, even), it's also true that studying literature is a valuable exercise in its own right. For one thing, it can help us better understand how to approach the Bible and its various genres, and provide excellent practice making inter- and intratextual connections and comparisons. Beyond that, it helps us understand other people, the events of history, the ideas of past generations, gives us an increased appreciation of true beauty, and helps us understand ourselves. Also, it's often really fun.

That sense of fun, however, is not without context. For many, it represents an Enlightenment ideal that has crept almost wholly unnoticed into modern thought. The Enlightenment humanists asserted that man was best in his "natural" state, and that culture and society overall had a diminishing effect on him that robbed him of his true potential. Thus, enjoying a book unfettered by any notion of understanding it, or of self-improvement, will yield better and more pleasurable results than the alternative.

This flies in the face of everything the Bible says about man and society. Society, though it can corrupt its members, is also the civilizer of men. Man requires structure and law to keep him from complete chaos, and society is the instrument of such organization. Each societal structure comes with its own rules, and an understanding of these is necessary for an understanding of any product of that culture.

More than that, the deepest understanding of Scripture requires a knowledge of its cultural and religious origins, the nature of the languages in which it was written, its coherence as a unified document, etc. How can we assume the path to interpretation of any other text is any different?

If your only expectation from any book is that it provide a measure of diversion, any book will do. But if you want to read in order to grow and truly enjoy the beauty that still shines in this often murky world, you'll need to choose the right books, and you'll need to devote yourself to understanding them. Inculcating those desires in our children and equipping them with the tools to do so is one of our foremost goals, and that is why we carry such a variety of products to help you do the same.

Review by C. Hollis Crossman
C. Hollis Crossman used to be a child. Now he is a husband and father, teaches adult Sunday school in his Presbyterian congregation, and likes weird stuff. He might be a mythical creature, but he's definitely not a centaur. Read more of his reviews here.

 

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Active Filters: 3rd grade (Ages 8-9)
Adam of the Road - TLP Bundle
by Barbara Blakey
for 3rd-6th grade
in Total Language Plus Guides (Location: LITSG-TLP)
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland - Comprehension Guide
by Ned Bustard
from Veritas Press
for 3rd-6th grade
in Veritas Press Literature Guides (Location: LITSG-VP)
$19.00 $8.00 (1 in stock)
Along Story Trails
Ginn Basic Readers Enrichment Series
by David H. Russell, Doris Gates, Louise Markert
from Ginn and Co.
for 3rd-5th grade
in Vintage Readers & Textbooks (Location: VIN-READ)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Baby Island - Comprehension Guide
by Laurie Detweiler
from Veritas Press
for 2nd-5th grade
in Veritas Press Literature Guides (Location: LITSG-VP)
$19.00
Bears on Hemlock Mountain - Progeny Press Study Guide
Progeny Press Literature Guides
by Rebecca Gilleland
from Progeny Press
Literature Guide for 1st-3rd grade
in Progeny Press Literature Guides (Location: LIT-SGPP)
$15.99
Ben and Me
by Robert Lawson
from Little, Brown & Company
Humor/historical fiction for 2nd-5th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
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Beyond Five in a Row - Christian Character and Bible Study Supplement
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from Five in a Row
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Beyond Five in a Row Volume 1
by Becky Jane Lambert
2nd edition from Five in a Row
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Beyond Five in a Row Volume 2
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2nd edition from Five in a Row
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2nd edition from Five in a Row
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Big Wave - Progeny Press Study Guide
Progeny Press Literature Guides
by Rebecca Gilleland
from Progeny Press
Literature Guide for 3rd-5th grade
in Progeny Press Literature Guides (Location: LIT-SGPP)
$21.99
Black Ships Before Troy - Comprehension Guide
by Adam Kuliszewski
from Veritas Press
for 3rd-6th grade
in Veritas Press Literature Guides (Location: LITSG-VP)
$19.00
Blue Fairy Book - Selections
by Andrew Lang
from Memoria Press
for 3rd-8th grade
$11.55
Boxcar Children - Comprehension Guide
by Deb Chapin
from Veritas Press
for 2nd-5th grade
in Veritas Press Literature Guides (Location: LITSG-VP)
$19.00 $10.00 (2 in stock)
Charlotte's Web
by E. B. White
from HarperCollins
for 2nd-6th grade
1953 Newbery Honor Book
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$8.99
Charlotte's Web - Comprehension Guide
by Laurie Detweiler
from Veritas Press
for 3rd-6th grade
in Veritas Press Literature Guides (Location: LITSG-VP)
$19.00
Charlotte's Web - Memoria Press Literature Set
from Memoria Press
for 3rd grade
in Memoria Press Literature & Poetry (Location: LITSG-MP)
$30.60
Charlotte's Web - MP Student Guide
from Memoria Press
for 3rd grade
in Memoria Press Literature & Poetry (Location: LITSG-MP)
$13.50
Charlotte's Web - MP Teacher Guide
from Memoria Press
for 3rd grade
in Memoria Press Literature & Poetry (Location: LITSG-MP)
$13.50 $9.00 (1 in stock)
Charlotte's Web - TLP Guide
Total Language Plus Literature Guides
from Total Language Plus
for 3rd-4th Grade
in Total Language Plus Guides (Location: LITSG-TLP)
Chronicles of Narnia - Comprehension Guide
by Ned Bustard
from Veritas Press
for 3rd-6th grade
in Veritas Press Literature Guides (Location: LITSG-VP)
$35.00
Classic Myths to Read Aloud
by William F. Russell
from Crown Publishers
for 1st-5th grade
in Clearance: Home School Resources (Location: ZCLE-HSR)
$6.30 (1 in stock)
Classics to Read Aloud to Your Children
by William Russell
from Three Rivers Press
for Kindergarten-8th grade
in Reading Aloud & Story-telling (Location: LIR-RAST)
Courage of Sarah Noble
by Alice Dalgliesh
Reissue from Aladdin Paperbacks
Realistic Fiction for Kindergarten-6th grade
1955 Newbery Honor Book
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
$5.99
Courage of Sarah Noble - Progeny Press Study Guide
Progeny Press Literature Guides
by Rebecca Gilleland
from Progeny Press
Literature Guide for 1st-3rd grade
in Progeny Press Literature Guides (Location: LIT-SGPP)
$15.99
Courage of Sarah Noble - Teacher Guide
by Leigh Lowe
1st edition from Memoria Press
for 3rd-5th grade
in Memoria Press Literature & Poetry (Location: LITSG-MP)
$7.90
Courage of Sarah Noble - TLP Guide
Total Language Plus Literature Guides
from Total Language Plus
for 3rd-4th Grade
in Total Language Plus Guides (Location: LITSG-TLP)
Cricket in Times Square
by George Selden
from Square Fish Publishing
Animal Fantasy for 3rd-6th grade
1961 Newbery Honor Book
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$7.99
Cricket in Times Square
by George Selden, illustrated by Garth Williams
from Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Animal Fantasy for 3rd-6th grade
1961 Newbery Honor Book
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$10.00 (1 in stock)
Cricket in Times Square
by George Selden, illustrated by Garth Williams, foreword & updates by Stacey Lee
from Square Fish Publishing
Animal Fantasy for 3rd-6th grade
1961 Newbery Honor Book
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$7.99
Critical Conditioning
by Kathryn Stout
from Design-A-Study
for All grades
in Design-A-Study (Location: HSR-DAS)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
D'aulaire's Book of Greek Myths - Memoria Press Package
from Memoria Press
for 3rd-6th grade
in Memoria Press Classical Studies (Location: HISCUR-MP)
$62.90
Dangerous Journey - MP Literature Package
for 3rd-5th grade
in Memoria Press Literature & Poetry (Location: LITSG-MP)
Door in the Wall
by Marguerite de Angeli
from Yearling
Realistic Fiction for 3rd-6th grade
1950 Newbery Medal winner
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$7.99
Dragon's Hoard - Progeny Press Study Guide
by Rebecca Gilleland
from Progeny Press
Literature Guide for 2nd-4th grade
in Progeny Press Literature Guides (Location: LIT-SGPP)
$21.99
Drawn into the Heart of Reading - Teacher's Guide
by Carrie Austin
from Heart of Dakota
for 2nd-8th grade
in Drawn into the Heart of Reading (Location: LITCUR-DHR)
$40.00 (3 in stock)
Drawn Into the Heart of Reading Level 2/3 - Student Book
by Carrie Austin
from Heart of Dakota
for 2nd-3rd grade
in Drawn into the Heart of Reading (Location: LITCUR-DHR)
$12.50 (1 in stock)
Drinking Gourd - Progeny Press Study Guide
Progeny Press Literature Guides
by Colleen Schreurs
from Progeny Press
Literature Guide for 1st-3rd grade
in Progeny Press Literature Guides (Location: LIT-SGPP)
$15.99 $8.50 (1 in stock)
Enjoy the Poems: Alfred, Lord Tennyson
by Emily Dickinson, Sonya Shafer
from Simply Charlotte Mason
for 1st-12th grade
in Poetry Curriculum & Resources (Location: LIR-POET)
Enjoy the Poems: Emily Dickinson
by Emily Dickinson, Sonya Shafer
from Simply Charlotte Mason
for 1st-12th grade
in Poetry Curriculum & Resources (Location: LIR-POET)
Enjoy the Poems: Robert Louis Stevenson
by Robert Louis Stevenson and Sonya Shafer, Compiled by Ruth Smith
from Simply Charlotte Mason
for 1st-12th grade
in Poetry Curriculum & Resources (Location: LIR-POET)
$8.50 (1 in stock)
Enjoy the Poems: Robert Louis Stevenson (old)
by Emily Dickinson, Sonya Shafer
from Simply Charlotte Mason
for 1st-12th grade
in Poetry Curriculum & Resources (Location: LIR-POET)
Enrichment Studies Volume 1: Lesson Plans for Grades 1-12
by Sonya Schafer
from Simply Charlotte Mason
for 1st-12th grade
in Simply Charlotte Mason (Location: CUR-SCM)
Fairy Tales of Brothers Grimm - Comprehension Guide
by Emily Fischer
from Veritas Press
for 3rd-6th grade
in Veritas Press Literature Guides (Location: LITSG-VP)
$19.00 $10.00 (1 in stock)
Family Program for Reading Aloud
by Rosalie June Slater
2nd edition from Foundation for American Christian Education
for 1st-4th grade
in Clearance: Home School Resources (Location: ZCLE-HSR)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Farmer Boy - Memoria Press Literature Set
from Memoria Press
for 3rd grade
in Memoria Press Literature & Poetry (Location: LITSG-MP)
$33.29
Farmer Boy - MP Student Guide
from Memoria Press
for 3rd grade
in Memoria Press Literature & Poetry (Location: LITSG-MP)
$13.50
Farmer Boy - MP Teacher Guide
by Laura Ingalls Wilder
from Memoria Press
for 3rd grade
in Memoria Press Literature & Poetry (Location: LITSG-MP)
$13.50 $9.00 (1 in stock)
Five in a Row - Christian Character and Bible Study Supplement
by Jane Claire Lambert
from Five in a Row
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Five in a Row (Location: LITCUR-FIAR)
$18.00 (2 in stock)
Five in a Row Cookbook
by Becky Jane Lambert
2nd edition from Five in a Row
for 2nd-6th grade
in Five in a Row (Location: LITCUR-FIAR)
Five in a Row Story Discs
from Five in a Row
for Preschool-4th grade
in Five in a Row (Location: LITCUR-FIAR)
Five in a Row Volume 1
by Jane Claire Lambert
2nd edition from Five in a Row
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Five in a Row (Location: LITCUR-FIAR)
$25.00 (1 in stock)
Five in a Row Volume 1
by Jane Claire Lambert
2nd edition from Five in a Row
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Five in a Row (Location: LITCUR-FIAR)
Five in a Row Volume 2
by Jane Claire Lambert
2nd edition from Five in a Row
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Five in a Row (Location: LITCUR-FIAR)
Five in a Row Volume 3
by Jane Claire Lambert
2nd edition from Five in a Row
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Five in a Row (Location: LITCUR-FIAR)
$15.00 (1 in stock)
Five in a Row Volume 4
by Jane Claire Lambert
2nd edition from Five in a Row
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Five in a Row (Location: LITCUR-FIAR)
Frances Study Guide
by Valerie Bendt
2nd edition from Common Sense Press
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Clearance: English & Language Arts (Location: ZCLE-LAN)
$4.00 (2 in stock)
Frog and Toad Together - Progeny Press Study Guide
Progeny Press Literature Guides
by Leslie Clark
from Progeny Press
Literature Guide for 1st-3rd grade
in Progeny Press Literature Guides (Location: LIT-SGPP)
Golden Goblet - Progeny Press Study Guide
by Carol Clark
from Progeny Press
for 3rd-6th grade
in Progeny Press Literature Guides (Location: LIT-SGPP)
Green Book - Progeny Press Study Guide
from Progeny Press
for 3rd-6th grade
in Progeny Press Literature Guides (Location: LIT-SGPP)
$21.99
Guide for Using Tuck Everlasting in the Classroom
by Caroline Nakajima, Sue Fullam
from Teacher Created Materials, Inc.
for 3rd-6th grade
in Miscellaneous Literature Curriculum (Location: LITCUR-MISC)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Homer Price - Comprehension Guide
by Laurie Detweiler
from Veritas Press
for 3rd-6th grade
in Veritas Press Literature Guides (Location: LITSG-VP)
$19.00
Homer Price - MP Student Guide
from Memoria Press
for 3rd-5th grade
in Memoria Press Literature & Poetry (Location: LITSG-MP)
$13.50
Homer Price - MP Teacher Guide
from Memoria Press
for 3rd-5th grade
in Memoria Press Literature & Poetry (Location: LITSG-MP)
How to Report on Books Grades 3-4
from Evan-Moor Educational Publishers
for 3rd-4th grade
in Evan-Moor Literature & Poetry (Location: ZCLE-EM)
$9.00 (2 in stock)
Josefina Story Quilt - Progeny Press Study Guide
Progeny Press Literature Guides
by Rebecca Gilleland
from Progeny Press
Literature Guide for 1st-3rd grade
in Progeny Press Literature Guides (Location: LIT-SGPP)
$15.99
King of the Wind
by Marguerite Henry; illustrated by Wesley Dennis
from Aladdin Paperbacks
Realistic Animal Stories for 3rd-7th grade
1949 Newbery Medal winner
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$6.39
King of the Wind
by Marguerite Henry; illustrated by Wesley Dennis
from Aladdin Paperbacks
Realistic Animal Stories for 3rd-7th grade
1949 Newbery Medal winner
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$19.99
Knock at a Star
by X. J. Kennedy and Dorothy M. Kennedy
from Little, Brown & Company
in Poetry for Children (Location: POET-CHIL)
Language Arts & Literature Level Three - Course Book (old)
3rd edition from The Good and the Beautiful
for 3rd-4th grade
in Miscellaneous Literature Curriculum (Location: LITCUR-MISC)
$20.00 (1 in stock)
Learning Language Arts Through Literature - 3rd Grade Teacher Book
by Debbie Strayer & Susan Simpson
3rd edition from Common Sense Press
for 3rd grade
Cathy Duffy's 100 Top Picks
$17.00 (2 in stock)
Lighted Lanterns: Independent Studies - Literary Analysis
from Cascia Books
for 3rd-12th grade
in Miscellaneous Literature Curriculum (Location: LITCUR-MISC)
$12.00 (1 in stock)
Linguistic Development Through Poetry Memorization - Set
by Andrew Pudewa
2nd edition from Institute for Excellence in Writing
for 2nd-10th grade
in Poetry Curriculum & Resources (Location: LIR-POET)
$65.00
Linguistic Development Through Poetry Memorization - Student Pages
by Andrew Pudewa
2nd edition from Institute for Excellence in Writing
for 2nd-10th grade
in Poetry Curriculum & Resources (Location: LIR-POET)
$19.00 $13.00 (1 in stock)
Linguistic Development Through Poetry Memorization - Teacher Manual
by Andrew Pudewa
2nd edition from Institute for Excellence in Writing
for 2nd-10th grade
in Poetry Curriculum & Resources (Location: LIR-POET)
$29.00
Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Chronicles of Narnia Book 2
by C. S. Lewis
from HarperCollins
Allegorical Fantasy for 3rd-9th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$9.99
Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Chronicles of Narnia Book 2
by C. S. Lewis, illustrated by Pauline Baynes
from HarperCollins
Allegorical Fantasy for 3rd-9th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe - Memoria Press Literature Set
from Memoria Press
for 4th grade
in Memoria Press Literature & Poetry (Location: LITSG-MP)
Literature Pockets: Aesop's Fables Grades 2-3
from Evan-Moor Educational Publishers
for 2nd-3rd grade
in Evan-Moor Literature & Poetry (Location: ZCLE-EM)
Literature Pockets: Folktales and Fairy Tales 2-3
from Evan-Moor Educational Publishers
for 2nd-3rd grade
in Evan-Moor Literature & Poetry (Location: ZCLE-EM)
Little House in the Big Woods - Comprehension Guide
by Deb Chapin
from Veritas Press
for 2nd-5th grade
in Veritas Press Literature Guides (Location: LITSG-VP)
$19.00 $10.00 (1 in stock)
Little House in the Big Woods - FACE Teacher and Student Guide
by Rosalie June Slater, edited by Carole G. Adams, revised by Cheri Mabe
from Foundation for American Christian Education
for 2nd-4th grade
in Miscellaneous Literature Curriculum (Location: LITCUR-MISC)
$12.00 (1 in stock)
Little House on the Prairie - Comprehension Guide
by Deb Chapin
from Veritas Press
for 2nd-5th grade
in Veritas Press Literature Guides (Location: LITSG-VP)
$19.00
Long Way to a New Land - Progeny Press Study Guide
Progeny Press Literature Guides
by Colleen Schreurs
from Progeny Press
for 1st-3rd grade
in Progeny Press Literature Guides (Location: LIT-SGPP)
$15.99 $8.00 (1 in stock)
Long Way Westward - Progeny Press Study Guide
Progeny Press Literature Guides
by Colleen Schreurs
from Progeny Press
for 1st-3rd grade
in Progeny Press Literature Guides (Location: LIT-SGPP)
$15.99
Milly-Molly-Mandy Storybook - Comprehension Guide
Veritas Press Literature Comprehension Guides
by Deb Chapin
from Veritas Press
for 2nd-5th grade
in Veritas Press Literature Guides (Location: LITSG-VP)
$19.00
Minstrel in the Tower - Progeny Press Study Guide
Progeny Press Literature Guides
by Rebecca Gilleland
from Progeny Press
Literature Guide for 1st-3rd grade
in Progeny Press Literature Guides (Location: LIT-SGPP)
$15.99 $7.50 (1 in stock)
Miss Rumphius - Progeny Press Study Guide
Progeny Press Literature Guides
by Dory Zinkand
from Progeny Press
Realistic Stories for 1st-3rd grade
in Progeny Press Literature Guides (Location: LIT-SGPP)
$15.99
Misty of Chincoteague - Comprehension Guide
by Laurie Detweiler
from Veritas Press
for 3rd-6th grade
in Veritas Press Literature Guides (Location: LITSG-VP)
$19.00
Moffats - Memoria Press Literature Set
from Memoria Press
for 3rd grade
in Memoria Press Literature & Poetry (Location: LITSG-MP)
Moffats - MP Student Guide
from Memoria Press
for 3rd grade
in Memoria Press Literature & Poetry (Location: LITSG-MP)
$13.50
Moffats - MP Teacher Guide
from Memoria Press
for 3rd grade
in Memoria Press Literature & Poetry (Location: LITSG-MP)
$13.50
More Favorites - Comprehension Guide
by Laurie Detweiler
from Veritas Press
for 2nd-3rd grade
in Veritas Press Literature Guides (Location: LITSG-VP)
$25.00
Mosdos Press Literature Opal - Set
from Mosdos Press
for 3rd grade
in Mosdos Press Literature (Location: LITCUR-MOS)
Mosdos Press Literature Opal - Student Text 2 volume set
from Mosdos Press
for 3rd grade
in Mosdos Press Literature (Location: LITCUR-MOS)
$29.00 (2 in stock)
Mosdos Press Literature Opal - Teacher's Edition (2 volumes)
from Mosdos Press
for 3rd grade
in Mosdos Press Literature (Location: LITCUR-MOS)
$40.00 (2 in stock)
Mr. Popper's Penguins - Progeny Press Study Guide
Progeny Press Literature Guides
by Rebecca Gilleland
from Progeny Press
for 3rd-5th grade
in Progeny Press Literature Guides (Location: LIT-SGPP)
$21.99
New Coat for Anna - Progeny Press Study Guide
Progeny Press Literature Guides
by Rebecca Gilleland
from Progeny Press
for 1st-3rd grade
in Progeny Press Literature Guides (Location: LIT-SGPP)
$15.99
Ox-Cart Man - Progeny Press Study Guide
Progeny Press Literature Guides
by Rebecca Gilleland
from Progeny Press
Realistic Stories for 1st-3rd grade
in Progeny Press Literature Guides (Location: LIT-SGPP)
$15.99
Peter Pan - Comprehension Guide
by Ned Bustard
from Veritas Press
Fantasy for 3rd-5th grade
in Veritas Press Literature Guides (Location: LITSG-VP)
$19.00 $10.00 (1 in stock)
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